Nakonde records three new cholera cases, bringing total to 10

The Zambian government has confirmed three additional cholera cases in Nakonde District, raising the total number to 10.

According to Acting Minister of Health Douglas Syakalima, the patients—six males and four females—are receiving treatment at the Nakonde Urban Cholera Treatment Center.

The youngest patient is eight years old, while the oldest is 52, with all cases traced to Ntindi and Katozi residential areas.

“While saddened by this development, we are hopeful that these dear ones’ lives will be saved as they are receiving appropriate treatment and remain stable,” Syakalima stated during a media briefing in Nakonde on Saturday.

He added that two patients were likely to be discharged soon.

Syakalima emphasized the public health risks posed by cholera, a waterborne disease exacerbated by climate change and poor infrastructure.

He highlighted the need for cross-border collaboration and community-centered preparedness measures to combat the outbreak.

“The cholera threat is not confined to Zambia alone. We are working on joint collaborative measures to ensure readiness for climate-change-related health emergencies,” Syakalima said.

The government, he noted, is committed to accelerating access to cholera vaccines, improving water and sanitation infrastructure, and addressing the root causes of outbreaks.

Plans included revising national climate adaptation strategies using a “One Health” approach that integrates human, animal, and environmental health.

Syakalima outlined how natural disasters, such as storms and floods, contribute to cholera outbreaks by contaminating water sources and damaging sanitation infrastructure.

Prolonged droughts and warmer temperatures further exacerbated the spread of pathogens, he noted.

“In drought conditions, pathogens like those causing cholera become concentrated in the limited water sources available, increasing the likelihood of contamination,” he explained.

The government is engaging the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, and other partners to secure an additional 197,000 cholera vaccine doses for Nakonde while redirecting existing supplies to the district.

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